Michelle Miller-Day - research areas Family Communication and Health
Why do Transitions in Personal Relationships Spark Relational Turmoil?


How does communication in the family positively or negatively affect the health and well-being of its members? This is a central focus of my research. Some of the core questions I seeks to address in my research are “How do families communicate about health risks?” and “What kinds of family communication patterns place members at risk for negative health outcomes?”

An example of this may is in the area of parent-child communication about alcohol and other drug use. Although many of us have heard that parents are the “anti-drug,” a clearly articulated communication theory explaining best practices for parents wishing to prevent their offspring’s drug use, or other risky health behaviors, is not currently available. I am working toward developing a “best practices” model for parents that is grounded in research data and is sensitive to both parenting style and personality characteristics of offspring.


Sample publications:

Miller, M. (1995). An intergenerational case study of suicidal tradition and mother-daughter communication.
                The Journal of Applied Communication Research, 23, 247-270.


Miller, M. A. (1999). The social process of drug resistance in a relational context. Communication Studies,49,
                358-375.


Walker, K., Arnold, C., Miller, M., & Webb, L. (2001). Investigating the physician-patient relationship:
                Examining emergent themes. Health Communication, 14 (1), 373-390.


Miller, M., & Lee, J. (2001). Communicating disappointment: The viewpoint of sons and daughters. Journal
                Of Family Communication, 1 (2), 111-131.


Barnett, J. M., & Miller, M. (2001). Adolescents' reported motivations to use or not use alcohol or other
                drugs. The Social Studies, 92 (5), 209-212.


Miller, M., & Day, L. E. (2002).  Family communication, maternal and paternal expectations, and college
students' suicidality. Journal of Family Communication, 2 (4), 167- 184.


Miller-Day, M. A. (2002). Parent-adolescent communication about alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use.
Journal of Adolescent Research, 17 (6), 604 - 616.


Miller-Day, M., & Barnett, J. (2004). “I’m not a druggie”: Adolescents’ ethnicity and (erroneous) beliefs
                about drug use norms. Health Communication, 16 (1). 207 – 231.


Miller-Day, M., & Dodd, A. (2004). Toward a descriptive model of parent-offspring communication about
                alcohol and other drugs. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 21 (1), 73 – 95.


Miller-Day, M. (2005). Effective parent-child communication: A preventive measure. Counselor, 6(1), 70-71


Hecht, M. L., & Miller-Day, M. (2004). The REAL way to prevent substance abuse in America, Counselor,
                5, 33-36.


Miller-Day, M. (2005). U.S. Parent-Offspring Discourse about Alcohol and Other Drugs. Language and
Communication Journal, 10, 10-18.


Miller-Day, M. (2006). Talking with children about alcohol and drugs.      Family Focus: National Council on FamilyRelations Quarterly, 58, 8-9.
Elek, E., Miller-Day, M., & Hecht, M. L. (2006). Influences of personal, injunctive, and descriptive norms on
early adolescent substance use. Journal of Drug Issues, 42 (4), 143-168.


Miller-Day, M., & Davis, J. L. (2006). Perceptions of parental communication orientation, perfectionism, and
                disordered eating behaviors of sons and daughters. Health Communication. 19(2), 153-163.


Miller-Day, M.  (in press).  Talking with your kids about alcohol and other drugs: Are parents the anti-Drug?
In L. B. Arnold. (Ed.) (2007). Family Communication: Theory and Research.  Allyn & Bacon. L.
B. Arnold (Ed.). Family communication theory and research. Allyn & Bacon.


Hecht, M. L., & Miller-Day, M. (in press). Drug Resistance Strategies Project: A communication approach to
preventing adolescent drug use. In K. Cissna and L. Frey (Eds.). Handbook of applied communication:Exemplary programs.